2m 70cm antenna on a Jeep Wrangler?

I’m looking for options on mounting a 2m/70cm antenna on my Jeep. I currently have an MFJ 1724 mag mount on the hood and I’m barely getting reception even just a few miles from a repeater. I’ve been thinking about putting a piece of sheet metal on the inside of the top and running a nmo (Larsen) in the center of the top, or possibly buying a rack that sits on top of the spare tire and mounting it there. I know I’ll lose my antenna when I take the top off but I won’t be using my radio with the top off...

 

In the 1970’s installed police radios, this is what we did for a counterpoise in the old Blazers and Broncos with fiberglass roofs. Mount sheet metal to inside of roof and out antenna connection through it, along with the roof

 

The two mounts I've seen are a clamp on for the front hood (antenna then is near the driver side typically) are an NMO mount on the spare wheel bracket.

Unless you do the sheet metal trick that AC1CX mentioned a mag mount on top won't work well

 

Best results I have had doing several Jeep Wrangler installs is a cowl mount on the driver's side opposite of where the AM/FM antenna is on the passenger side. Did one on a rural fire department Jeep a couple of years ago and it has worked fine

 

We would drill a hike through the roof and sheet metal

 

The cowl cap is a good place, and if you're worried about drilling holes, those caps are replaceable.

 

What year model?? I run NMO mounts on the hood just outboard of each hinge. a dual bander and commercial uhf, and it's easy to swap comm. radio and antenna out for Children's band when crawling through the woods, with less educated drivers.

 

This was easy and quick on my Jeep. Bracket can be had from HRO or Amazon. Used one existing bolt under the hood, and then added one small sheet metal screw just to be certain it wouldn't move. When I sold the Jeep, it removed in less than a minute and left no obvious trace of having been there.

 

This is exactly what I did for a friend of mine over a year ago and the coax came in through a grommet in the jeep body. I gave him a dual band Larsen and it works very well.

Glenn, VE6ND